


Dreaming While Awake

by Bard



Category: Azumanga Daioh
Genre: F/F, Gen, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-20
Updated: 2008-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1633073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bard/pseuds/Bard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a visit home begins, college student Kaorin wishes her reality came closer to her dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dreaming While Awake

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Midori Seppen

 

 

Kaori was a busy woman.

One year into college, two years' worth of learning. A dozen observatory visits in half a dozen weeks. What felt like a million Astronomy reports, a billion readings, and a quadrillion sleepless nights in front of a glowing laptop. 

And now, hours before her Final Exam that was worth one million percent of her grade, she had to escape from the tallest tower in the land before the dragons made it up the stairs. She could hear their talons far below, clicking on the stones; it was only a matter of time until they found her. They were legion. Wreathed in fire. Voiced by her first-year Economics professor in full, lush surroundsound. They knew she hadn't finished her term papers and they were going to make her pay.

Robes aflutter she sped to her window, peered in desperation outside. Her crown slipped off her head, tumbling with its tassels downward. Beneath, a chasm devoured it, toothy and unending. She knew there was truly no escape. Then, sparking upon the flagstones: a set of clattering hooves. She gasped, leaning out to see a white horse; it galloped up the side of her tower, a tall, hooded figure astride. They halted beside her window, the rider reaching for her, calling in strong alto: 

"Take my hand." 

And Kaori did, swinging up and onto the hard saddle. The landing stung, but the figure was so comfortable to lean against it didn't matter; Kaori wrapped her arms around her savior, felt a body strong yet soft, and buried her face in a warm neck framed by raven black hair. 

"Are you all right?" The rider asked. The voice was quiet and low, yet it overpowered the smack of hooves below and the howls of dragons behind.

Kaori could only nod.

"Hold on to me."

The rider's hood fell back, and her eyes shone blue in the moonlight, the wind whipping her long hair around them both.

"Miss Sakaki," she whispered. "You came for me."

The rider brushed a hand across her cheek, tilted up her chin. "Of course I did, Kaorin."

The horse was gone, and so were the dragons. All that remained was the strong arm around her back, the gentle hand under her chin, and Sakaki's beautiful face.

But the ride was getting bumpy, and Sakaki's lips--so close!--were fading. "Kaorin," she repeated, the lovely alto of her voice marred by an inexplicable hum.

"Please," Kaori cried, trying to keep hold on the disappearing woman. "Could you--call me Kaori?"

The lips remained, curved into a smile. "Kaori," they said, and finally everything disappeared.

Kaorin's eyes drifted open, the hum of an engine in her ears. The blur in front of her slowly resolved into her open laptop, its screen blank; she looked past that and rows of bus seats to the huge windshield filled with huger buildings. No stone towers here, to her regret; just the endless shine of steel and glass that made up most of Tokyo.

The window to her left reflected frazzled hair and a spot of drool, which Kaorin hurriedly wiped away. Visible down the road, and coming up far too quickly, was the mall where she was meeting her friends.

"I--I'm sorry!" She rose, waved at the driver. "This is my stop!"

...

She wondered why they'd decided to meet in Mosburger. There were so many better restaurants, even in this mall. But at least this felt like being back in high school; maybe Chiyo or Osaka would be serving burgers. No such luck, but the cashier was friendly enough, serving her a croquette patty, which she tucked into without much enthusiasm at the back of the restaurant. 

One year, she thought, prodding at it with a french fry. One year away in Nagoya, one year of Advanced Astronomy classes, one year of almost no contact with any of them. She wondered how much they'd changed.

"Oi, let's get some service here!"

Traipsing through the doorway, Takino Tomo rushed to the counter, brandishing a wadded-up thousand yen note like a police badge and yelling at the top of her lungs. Behind her stood Yomi, who rubbed her temples and tried to look anywhere but at the shorter girl.

They hadn't changed much.

"Idiot. People are staring."

"Maybe they've never seen so much fat in one place," Tomo mocked, turning from the bewildered cashier and prodding the taller girl's side. Behind her hand, Yomi's eyed narrowed, and she took a swing at the back of Tomo's head.

"Shut up!"

"Ahh, struck a nerve under all that padding?" Tomo ducked the swing and pointed with dramatic urgency to a picture on the value menu glowing above their heads. "*That one*."

Dumbstruck, the cashier asked: "Teriyaki burger?"

Locking eyes, hers steely, his vaguely terrified, she proclaimed: "*Extra sauce.*" Then she slapped down her thousand yen, collected her change, and stepped aside, gesturing Yomi forward like a maitre d'. "And the lovely, *skinny* lady will have whatever she can pretend is healthy."

Yomi glared daggers, swords, and lances towards Tomo, then spoke to the cashier with a sigh. "The unagi rice burger, please."

People *were* staring. Surrounded by glaring customers, Kaorin felt like she should say something, but the beginnings of a greeting died on her lips as Tomo turned from the cashier and waved towards the doors, crowing:

"Oi~! Sakaki! Come here and order, Yomi will pay--"

The moment she stepped through the door, the restaurant and its occupants ceased to exist. Everything but Sakaki faded into white outline and featureless mass, and she towered over all that nothingness, pure elegance in a brown sweater and dark blue jeans. She was even taller than Kaorin remembered, and her black hair fanned out behind her all the way down to her knees. 

"Miss Sakaki," Kaorin whispered, already on her feet. Homework forgotten, she bounded at top speed through the definitely-still-there crowd of customers, foisting hasty excuse-me's and pardons on the three or five or ten people she bumped. She almost skidded, stopping beside the trio at the register, gasping:

"Miss Sakaki!"

Tomo turned first, nearly facing her as it was, and waved. Yomi made eye contact next, grinned in greeting, annoyance momentarily gone. And then Sakaki looked towards her, and Kaorin realized she was too terrified to say another word. 

"Ah," Sakaki said, with a soft smile. "Kaorin."

"Kaorin!" Tomo cheered, stepping between them and pounding her on the back. Kaorin stumbled, tried to match Tomo's gaze, but inexorably her eyes returned to Sakaki, standing tall over all of them and still smiling that little smile. That is, until Tomo pulled her into a bear hug, at which point it was all Kaorin could do to breathe.

"H-hey," she managed.

"Good to see you," Yomi said, tugging Tomo back by her collar. "Have a good drive?"

Groping through her mind for something to say, Kaorin finally blurted: "Good dreams," to her utter horror. "That is--well, I slept through most of it."

"Dreams of a boyfriend?" Tomo grinned at her, dangling from Yomi's grip. Kaorin blushed and shook her head.

Sakaki cut in, voice firm but friendly. "We shouldn't hold up the line."

They finished the order and returned to Kaorin's little booth.

"How's college?" Kaorin asked, trying not to think about how close her legs were to Sakaki's.

"Oh, god." Yomi groaned, swallowing some unagi. "This one--" she motioned to Tomo with her burger. "--just discovered alcohol."

"I only called you three times," Tomo protested.

"In five minutes. At four in the morning. On a Thursday."

Tomo just flicked french fries in response. Kaorin shook her head, and looked at the vision across the table.

"And...Miss Sakaki? How's veterinary school?"

"It's..." Sakaki considered, taking a slow sip from her straw, and then smiled wide. "Very cute."

The catch-up continued through dinner: Osaka, from all reports, was rapidly advancing in a teaching program in Saitama, Chiyo's blog about life in America was growing in popularity, and no one had heard much from Kagura since she'd made the swim team.

"And how's Nagano?" Asked Yomi, as they started on dessert, huddling with parfaits around a small table in the middle of the mall.

"Far away," grumbled Kaorin. She had to admit, though, that the opportunities for Astronomy were incredible. "I've been to the observatory on Mount Ontake about a hundred times already."

"Hold that thought." Tomo was standing, her parfait forgotten, and pointing across the mall: a Gamers store called to her, covered in signs that proclaimed huge savings in bright katakana. "I need to go there." Before the other girls could react, she was hurrying towards the store and vanishing inside.

"That idiot." Yomi growled through a mouthful of ice cream, and rose to grab Tomo's purse. "She's going to go through the whole line, ring up everything, and then not be able to pay and then she'll--"

Already, Tomo's voice wafted out of the game store, distant and plaintive. "Yomi!"

"That *idiot!*" Yomi stormed off, Tomo's purse in tow, and suddenly Kaorin and Sakaki sat side-by-side, alone. The space between them, recently the size of Yomi, now seemed centimeters wide, and Kaorin did her best not to tremble while she stared into her dessert.

"What did you dream about?"

The question was so faint she almost thought she'd imagined it, and at first she couldn't offer an answer. Slowly, she peered to her right, looked up at Sakaki. Those blue eyes inquisitively locked with hers; Kaorin felt renewed crimson rising in her cheeks.

"Eh?"

"You said you had a good dream, on the bus. What was it about?"

Sakaki was smiling at her again, head tilted slightly to the side. It was all Kaorin could take, and she looked away, stared across the mall at the drama developing in Gamers while she answered. "It wasn't--anything special, I was just...rescued, by someone. And she..." She hesitated, fidgeting, and forced herself to make eye contact again. "...she called me Kaori."

Sakaki's eyebrows rose. "You dream about people calling you Kaori?" Her voice lilted a little, not with amusement, but with what sounded like delight.

Kaori slumped anyway. "Only when I'm drowning in final exams," she said, taking a nervous bite of ice cream. "It's stupid, anyway. Nobody calls me Kaori, not even at college."

"Kaori."

She blinked up at Sakaki, who was sitting closer than she had been a moment before, and felt the burn in her cheeks extend throughout her face. The smile made sense, now, the lilt in her voice--Sakaki was humoring her, wasn't she? Aching with embarrassment, she managed: "You don't have to start now, Miss Sakaki, I know everyone calls me--"

"I think Kaori sounds cute. Can I call you that from now on?"

The ice cream trembled in Kaorin's hands. If she blushed any more, she'd be on fire, and a response refused to come despite the rapid breaths she took. Gaping, wondering if she'd wake up on the bus in a moment, she finally nodded, and then Sakaki's hand was on hers, and Kaorin was almost melting.

"Kaori..." Sakaki said, leaning close.

"Yes?" Kaorin whispered.

"Your ice cream."

The parfait, clutched before like a prize in Kaorin's hands, now lay toppled on the table, slowly pooling around their plates. "Oh, I'm--I'm sorry--I'll clean it up-" Grabbing a fistful of napkins, she swabbed uselessly at the mess.

Sakaki laughed, rising, pulling Kaorin up too. The napkins fell from her hand, settling forlornly in the spreading circle of ice cream and chocolate, but somehow Kaorin didn't mind, couldn't keep focused on anything other than the warm, strong grip Sakaki had on her right hand, couldn't look at anything but the gentle smile on Sakaki's beautiful face. 

"I'm really glad you made it." She took Kaorin's other hand, now, and let both rest by her hips, their foreheads nearly touching. Kaorin still trembled, still blushed, but for once she wasn't going to babble, didn't need to panic. She could simply enjoy standing like this with Miss Sakaki, with no creepy teachers or interloping friends to get in her way. The mall slowed down and faded, left them to themselves.

Unfortunately, this meant she didn't notice Tomo approaching like a freight train, dragging Yomi behind her, until the former roared: "There's a sale," and barreled straight into them in a mess of shopping bags and flying purses. They sat apart on the floor, tangled in Tomo's purchases. The eye contact was brief and then broken, both blushing. Kaorin stood up with Yomi's help and weary apologies, and Sakaki quietly rose on her own. 

"Sorry, sorry," chuckled Tomo, in tones that suggested she wasn't. "I always wanted to jump into a moment like that."

Sakaki looked down, black hair blocking her eyes, covering most of the red on her cheeks. She shrugged a little, stepping ahead of the group. 

Away from Kaorin.

"Come on. We should go check in at the hotel."

A few steps later, they were out of the mall and into a taxi, heading for their rooms.

Crammed in the back of a cab with Sakaki. It could have been a high school fantasy, if not for Yomi and Tomo arguing between them. Kaorin tried her best to ignore the chatter, peering past the two and taking in the look on Sakaki's face.

Their eyes met, and Sakaki offered a hesitant smile. Kaorin smiled back, but the blush it prompted gave her pause. Sakaki was blushing? Sakaki could blush? She always seemed too regal for that, too cool--for blushing, for the nervousness that was obvious when Tomo called out their moment, for any sort of hesitation. After a moment, they both looked away, and Kaorin stared out her window at the blur of people and buildings outside. Nothing would happen, she knew. A year of pining, a year of stupid dreams, and nothing was going to happen because even Miss Sakaki wasn't strong enough to go through with it in front of their friends, and Kaorin wouldn't have been brave enough to go see only her.

The cab slowed and stopped. In the window, their hotel backlit Sakaki, bright light filtered through long black hair. She was beautiful, Kaorin thought. And just as untouchable as ever. Tomo and Yomi and anyone else they knew may as well have been the Great Wall of China, laid down to keep them apart.

Nothing would ever happen. With this misery in mind, she glumly followed the others out of the cab. Her purse, dangling from one slumped shoulder, did not; it caught on the doorframe. As she stepped forward, it yanked her back. She cried out and stumbled, fell forward, and through the terror at the incoming concrete she had a thought: isn't it perfect that no one can save me now--

A tall figure was in her peripheral vision, moving so fast she blurred. The fall jarred to a stop, concrete inches away, and Kaorin slowly looked up, following her shaking arm to what held her above the ground: a hand, strong yet soft, gripping hers tightly.

Sakaki's hand. 

"Kaori," said Sakaki, voice tight with worry. "Are you alright?" 

Kaorin nodded mutely, and struggled to her feet, trying to disentangle herself from the still-stubborn purse. It held fast until she yanked, but released her into another stumble, this time right into her savior. Sakaki's arms caught her again, held her firm.

It couldn't happen, Kaorin knew. Even now, hugged close by the most gorgeous person she'd ever seen, it wouldn't. Someone would interrupt; they would pull apart and stammer apology; it could. Not. Happen. Because what she wanted to happen next only came in her dreams. 

So when Sakaki kissed her, drawing one hand up her body to stroke her blushing cheek, Kaorin distantly wondered if she was dreaming or awake. There they stood, in front of Tomo and Yomi and all of Tokyo, Miss Sakaki's lips pressed so soft to her own, and Kaorin wrapped her arms around her savior and kissed her back, kissed her for a minute that could have been a year.

"About time," Yomi muttered, dragging their bags and a shellshocked Tomo towards the hotel.

The kiss broke, both parties blushing, but Kaorin didn't pull away. She buried her face in a warm neck framed by raven black hair, and absolutely refused to let go.

 


End file.
